Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-29
A Well to be Drilled in Pike Township,
Where a Vast Vein Was
Struck in 1865.
4 Tongue of Flame That i.eRped sixty
Feet into the Air and Shrfek ed
like a steamboat-The
New Company.

VII bt bb NhlftA NV wy WIN an aiAN hAA
uraI gas needed for illuminating and heat
ing purposes. The reader is invited TO
peruSal of the following history, and then
he can judge for himself of the
BRILLIANCN OF the PROSPECTS
ahead of the new. OF rather reviyihcd
scheme.
In 1868. Chris. Seller, a well-knOwn cti-
zen of this city. was engaged in drilling a
well for Samuel Studebaker's place six miles
northwest of Northampton. in Pike town
ship. not far from the Miami county line.
The drill was operated by foot power, and
progress was slow, for after traversing a
shallow surface soil, the drill en-
cOuntered lava like formation,
different widely from limestone, and evi-
IDENTITY of direct volcanic origin. The well
was for water only, and was located thirty
feet from the tenant house on the place,
which was occupied by Squire Jordan and
his family. This was in March or April of
1868. and the spring was just opening up.
One day the drill reached a depth of IS
feet and a most astonishing thing occurred.
There was
AN Awful CONIMOTION
underground, a boiling. bubbling, tugging
and Straning sound. The drill was par
TALLY blown from the well and the ground
shook from the suppressed power of some
mighty force. A subterranean gas burst
from the opening with fearful force and a
quantity of oil buhbled up and Overran the
opening. This was years before anything
was known about natural gas.
Fire was applied to the opening
and a gigantic flame, sixty feet in hight and
rs large around as base-burner. shot up
and burnt, fiickered and swayed like an in
candeScent monster. The country was
lighted up for miles around. and the noise
of the escaping and burning gas is de
scribed by those who heard it a like the
music of a mighty calliOpe. These facts
may sound highly colored. but any old
resident of the city and particularly those
who are about to be enumerated. will sub
stantiate them. if questioned.
The thing created
A VAST EXCITEMENT
in the city, hut the only feature that was
regarded as giving promise of profit, was
the oil, which a Pennsylvania expert pro-
nOunced lubricating oil of fair quality
Meanwhile. the gas was eNtinguished,
but not before it had stricken ter
ror into the hearts of Squire
Jordan and his family, who were about In
move from the house they had occupied,
overlooked as it was by the gigantic blue
blazing specter that rose, shrieSing from the
well.
Seller brought the news To the city. and
a stock company, styled either the Clark
County or the Pike Township Coal Oil Co,
was organized in twinkling, with a capi-
tai stock of S4OO 900 subscribed. The com
pany leased 400 acres of land from
Samuel Studebaker, l.. Carman
and J. Shroyer, for II years from that
date. The consideration was that Mr..
Studebaker and the others were to receive
One-fourth of the profits and share no eX-
pense for the prosecution of the work
The company was made up aS follows:
President. James Blakeney; Secretary,
Squire J. j. Smith; Treasurer. Jacob
SeitZ. Among the stockholders We're our
present sheriff, VIM. B. Baker, J. c. HaX.
j. c. Seller, John BIewrr John
Schultz. Nicholas Spangenberger. +. Boil
man. e.. Gellenbeck and Others. several
of whom are now deceased. The company
was not incorporated, being organized
simply on partnership basis. The old
lease is still on file in the county records.
\ steam engine was called into rr1tisi-
tiOn and the work pushed with 4 will and
vim.
OIL WAS FOUND.
But not in paying quantities. In 1865 the
drill was lost in the well and cOuld not be
raised. Ii consisted of eighteen
feet of iron and six feet OF
solid steel. Men and machinery came from
oil well Of Pennsylvania and worked three
weeks TO eXtricate the drill but failed.
The well was then abandoned and filled up
and the iron still rests in its lava grave.
The company passed into ''innOcuou>
deSuetude' and only the lease remained.
The awakening of the natural gas fever
brought the facts wildly to the minds of
some of the late Pike township Oil Co.
Yesterday the lease on the same ground
was
RENEwED FOR TwENTN-FINE WARS
until lgl2-with privilege of twenty
five more in case of success. The new lease
was signed yesterday by J. J. Smith. j. C..
Seller and J. c. HaX. \ stock company is
on the evening of organization and it i
said that prominent manufacturers are
anxious of going into the scheme.
DRILLING WILL IiE COMMENCED
near the spot where the great burst of gas
occurred, in three weeks from date. A
ten-hOrSe power BOOkwalter engine will be
used and the usual derrick. Judging by
the tremendous flow of gas encountered in
ioF''. WHY MAY Alltit ilFl bt th1l-i SdN III
the Pike township well to supply all
Springfield and more? Mr.. Oliver 5. Kelly
Is an enthusiastic supporter OF the project
Schultz, the shoe man. struck something
very novel and attractive in the way of an
advertising dodge this morning. 1t consists
\0f the representation OF an immense en-
velOpe of flowing red color. tackled up
over the entrance of his stores. On the
different sections of the back it read: Red
l. 'tter Day. prices way down. Twelve
hour sale. Buy Your boots and Shoes to-
day"
Mrs. Charles Drr, OF Nenia, VINO has been
the guest of Mr.. and Mrs. I. G. Brown. Of
north Plum street, for several days. rc-
turned home this morning.
Mr.. +. f. Rose. of Gallipolis, Ohio, has
associated himself with the great music
house OF K. F. Brandon 4 Co, aS travel
ing salesman.
Miss Jessie johnson, of south Mechanic
street, is visiting the family of Rev. l..
Clark at Erie, Pa.